Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-06
A WONDERFUL WE'LL.
zrLrnARs sLRcrRIc sHaYr, DOVE
IN GEORGIA.
rts Discovery, and How It's Natural
Shocks Give wealth TO the Rhsa-
matte aud Dyspcptio.


ing.
Some poked their heads ont OF the
windows, and looked up and down the
road in the darkness.
"What place is this, sir ?"
al do not know"
"What is the matter with that fellow
yonder near the engine.
"Sick, ! reckon saw him throwing
mp wood inst now.
The drowsy monotone OF voices in
side the coach now sound clear and dis
tinct. ard in strange contrast TO the
chatter Of the cars which so lately pre-
cededi IL.
."Going down to Georgia, sir9"
"Yes."
ear as Atlanta 2"
"No, | stop at Sharon, on the Geor-
gia railroad, and intend visiting Hill
mans Electric hsft
"Well, | have heard great deal
about the place, and / am booked for it
myself and am glad l met you. / am
from Elizabeth, n. j."
The train pulled out, and the new &C
auaintances talked about the wonders
OF the electric well.
LOCATION OF THE SHAFT.
Sharon was reached, and here the
principal talk was about the shaft.
"Going to Hillmans shaft, sir 2" is
the first question you are asked, and
yoa gre importuned by colorea drivers,
who beg YOU, $50 wild me, boss"
The Georgia railroad is one of the
most solid in the Union, the stock
being worth $2.02. The shaft is on the
Washington branch of this road, and is
distant from Sharon about three miles
A siding has been built, and depot is
in process of erection. This depot is
about half q mile from the shaft, which
is in Taliaferro county, Ga, seventies
from Charlottesville, the home of A.
II. Stephens, and twelve from Wash
ington, Ga, where General Robert
Toombs lived and died.
The plantation upon which the shaft
is situated consists of 2,700 acres OF
very fine land, the property of Andrew
l.. Hillman, Baptist minister, an ac-
tive, energetic young man, who fifty
represents the progressive spirit OF the
new South.
HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED.
The History of the discovery of the
great wonder 0he like of which has
never been known) is as follows:
Mr.. Hillman is somewhat OF q mine
ralogist, and for years has been sinking
shafts in search of gold and alum on his
place Many of these attempts proved
unsuccessful but nothing daunted, in
August, 1885, he commenced to sink q
shaft at the foot of mountain, the top
of which hundreds of feet above the
shaft is capped with huge boulders of
rock that indicated the presence of
alum. The ascent TO the top of the
mountain is precipitous, but once
reached a commanding view of the
country for miles around is presented,
and more pleasing one can hardly be
found in any State.
THP FIRST CURE.
At the time Hillman commenced his
search for alum he was in bad health,
but his energy did not desert him. He
was suffering from severe rheumatism
and dyspepsia, and in the hope that
the exercise would relieve him he went
into the shaft daily and worked an hour
or SO. A few feet from the surface a
fine specimen of alum rock was found.
and through this, with the aid of drill
and blast, the work was pushed.
In handling the drill Hillman felt a
peculiar sensation, similar to that ex-
perienced from a shock given by gal
yanic battery. Sometimes" said he,
"the hands could hardly hold the
drill To my astopishment, he con-
tinued, 81 found my dyspepsia greatly
improved and my rheumatism com
pletely gone. persevered, and found
myself restored to perfect health. l
found water at the depth of fifteen feet,
shaft, at right angles, square hole in
the rock, as receptacle for the water.
took medical gentleman with me, to
get his opinion of the matter, but he
did not give me any very great encour-
agemert. / went to Atlanta in the
spring of 1886, leaving the shaft COW
cred.
UNCLE CALLowAY's DELIGHT.
/ returned in September, 1886. and
again visited the shaft. The old ladder
/ had left in the well was almost rotten,
but otherwise there was no difference
in the looks of the place. j had been
thinking o great deal abort the cura-
tive properties of the place as shown in
my own case, and j thought l would
make other tests of it. A coiored man
named Charles Galloway had been suf-
fering from severe rheumatism. His
right arm was glued to his body and he
had no use of it. After great deal of
persuasion induced him to go into the
shaft, and in ten days he was showing a
jackplaDe.
"There is the man now ask him
about it."
Galloway grinned from ear to ear as
he spoke OF the good the well had done
him.
Similar cures of dread dyspepsia
were also made. "The next man was
Mr.. John =. Moore, thriving farmer
of the neighborhood, said Mr. Hill
man, "and he was cured completely.
And then came Captain JOSEPH A.
White, travelling passenger agent of
the Georgia railroad He was de-
lighted with his relief from rheumatism.
And later Mr.. A. p. Norman, assistant
travelling agent. came down and was
made happy with the results of the
visit
MISERABLE ACCOMMODATIONS.
The press took hold Of the matter,
and sufferers from various States came
10 see the wonderful electric cure. Ac-
commodations were miserable in the
neighborbood, but rheumatism and dis
pepsia made sufferers more so, and peo-
pie focked TO the place. Neuralgia,
rheumatism, dyspepsia, and kidney
troubles fed at the touch of electricity
and the taste OF the waters of the well.
Mr.. Hillman had made discovery that
bnffied science. Hesaw that he had found
what the world needed sadly. He want
ed TO shut down the shaft until he could
make ii slightly and comfortable to visit
ors. The spot was picturesque enough
the mountain-top, forest-crested, for
the background smiling meadows
ereen-clad, laughing streams, fringed
with alders and willows, and undu-
lating, changesble scenery for the bal
ance Of the beautiful surroundings.